Teaching Lessons
by Remasa
Summary: Ever since Gabriel Agreste discovered his son was Chat Noir, he had followed his progress from behind the scenes as best as he could. All he saw was how horrible Chat Noir's flirting techniques were. Gabriel is determined to teach his son how to properly woo the woman of his dreams – without Adrien catching on to what he is trying to do.
1. Chapter 1

**Spoilers:  
** Gabriel Agreste is **NOT** Hawkmoth in this story, but he **IS** aware of the existence of Miraculouses. This story takes place after _Simon Says/Jackady_ but before _Volpina_ (because I honestly have no clue how Gabriel is going to react when he discovers his book is missing!)

 **Disclaimer:**

I own nothing.

* * *

 _Chapter One_

Gabriel Agreste clutched the remote in his hand so tightly thin cracks began to form on the plastic as it bent under the pressure. _What does that idiot boy think he's doing?_ he thought, his eyes glued to the monitor in front of him. He glanced to his hand and for the first time appeared to notice his iron grip. He forced himself to unclench the remote, almost going as far as to physically pry his fingers off one by one. He steadied his nerves with a couple of deep breaths and risked another glance at the news report.

Just in time to witness Chat Noir sailing through the streets of Paris, smashing into a brick wall several blocks from his partner. Rubble rained down from the small crater he created on the side of the building.

 _*SNAP*_

Dropping the now useless remote from his hand, Gabriel reached over and tapped a couple of buttons on his keyboard. The volume increased through the speakers.

"-Appears that Ladybug has activated her Lucky Charm in the wake of Chat Noir's successful Cataclysm attack." Shaky footage showed Ladybug's slight confusion as she stared at the object in her hands. She studied her surroundings for a moment. Then, without warning, she leaped forward, vanishing from sight as she vaulted under the villain before emerging on the other side of him, holding something in her hands. She snapped the object over her knee, purifying the darkened butterfly before restoring the city. Normally, Ladybug stuck around for a minute or two to provide some quick interviews, or words of advice or hope, but this time she flung her yo-yo out and zipped through the streets without a word. The camera followed her until she reached the spot where her partner had landed and she dropped out of sight. The video cut off.

"For the time being, Paris is once again safe from Hawkmoth's akumas and we have Ladybug and Chat Noir to thank for that. We'll head over to our studio to conduct our post-battle analysis and keep you further inform-"

Gabriel cut off the feed with a sharp tap of the key. He didn't care to hear about the inaccurate ramblings of so-called experts. He pulled up the _Ladyblog_ , favored by Paris' heroes themselves. The owner of the blog attended classes with Adrien, so naturally she had the most up-to-date information. In fact, Gabriel wouldn't be at all surprised if the footage provided by the news station was from her own recording that the studio aired (with her permission, of course).

Sure enough, Alya had already updated her site with the news of the most recent attack, complete with a link to the footage, now archived on her site, along with a hearty assurance that Chat Noir was unharmed despite how bad it looked on the video. Gabriel should probably view it again, but later. Much later. Once his frazzled nerves had steadied.

The moment he spotted that blasted ring upon his son's finger, the pieces of the puzzle clicked together in his mind. One after another, dots connected and everywhere his mind turned more and more explanations unfolded with lightning-fast understanding. It was like walking down a surreal landscape where the path formed ahead of him with each footstep. He spent the next few nights in a panic, pacing up and down in his room, wondering what to do. He could... take the ring. Store it in his safe. Adrien wouldn't have to know. He shook his head. No, that would only further alienate his son. Not that he knew much of what was going on in his life anymore. Gabriel had a finger on the pulse of every one of Adrien's activities, even if he didn't have time to actually _talk_ to him about them. He knew about Adrien landing first place in his last fencing meet, about the near-perfect score on his last physics exam, and about how he had distanced himself from Chloe's friendship, making several new friends since attending public school. Though not physically present in much of Adrien's life, Gabriel knew everything his son did.

Or so he thought.

Ice flooded through him the instant his eyes landed upon that ring. That damned ring. He had asked him about it without thinking, blurting out his fears and bringing attention to the one aspect of his life Adrien desperately hid. Adrien shied away, retreating and throwing up guarded shields. The defiant brushing off his questioning, firing back with his own mild accusation... the persona of Chat Noir certainly had bled over into Adrien's civilian life. Gabriel steadied himself and had done the hardest thing he had ever done in his life.

He walked away.

He had seen how much the boy loved being Chat Noir, even in that brief interaction with the superhero. He couldn't – _wouldn't_ – tear that away from him for anything. Not that he suspected he had a say in the matter anyway. All that would accomplish would be pushing Adrien further away. Gabriel would have to keep a close eye on Adrien... from afar. Too much social interaction spooked the boy but Gabriel refused to give up. He built his fashion empire on a spark of talent and a mountain of teeth-gritted determination. He refused to give up on reconnecting with Adrien. The last few months he had distanced himself from Adrien without even realizing it, buried in his grief and consumed by his work in order to forget his own pain.

Adrien was healing, though agonizingly slow, through Chat Noir. And Gabriel would not stop him.

But did Adrien actually expect Gabriel to completely remain on the sidelines? Though he could do nothing but watch in frantic horror during those heart-wrenching moments of battle, he could advise his son on something else he had noticed. And just to make sure his inspirations for the spring fashion lineup had not impaired his judgment, he poured over the _Ladyblog_ , seeking validation for his growing suspicions.

Adrien was in love.

With Ladybug.

Whom he didn't know outside of the suit.

Gabriel very nearly smacked his forehead in frustration. So it wasn't just springtime love fever after all. But really, how could his son woo the object of his heart's desire when he knew nothing about her? Did he honestly expect a few cheesy puns and buffoonish flirtations would be enough to bring Ladybug to her knees, ready to swoon over him?

To calm his nerves further after watching his son nearly die (again) at the hands of an akumatized victim, Gabriel turned his focus to his primary goal: teach Adrien how to win the heart of his love. Without his son detecting his interference. This would be a challenge. He liked challenges. He zipped through design after design for the spring line this year, inspired by videos of Ladybug and Chat Noir and their budding partnership. Another successful quarter and dozens of styles completed in a matter of days. Easy.

Gabriel clicked through a few videos, taking mental notes on how his son conversed with Ladybug and just studying their interactions in general. He focused on a video posted a few weeks after his own encounter with the duo in the mansion. He already watched every video dozens of times, poured over all theories and discussions on the _Ladyblog_ , and even commented a couple of times to correct certain inaccuracies. Alya had grown suspicious of his input and correctly identified him as either a previous akuma victim or the target of a victim. He backed off a bit and stopped posting tips on how to improve the aesthetics of the site. Honestly, she just needed to tone down the red. He knew it was called the _Ladyblog_ for a reason, but all he suggested was to soften up the garish color with some subtle whites. Negative space, as you will.

He had almost received a temporary ban from the forums for inciting the ensuing flame war. Perhaps he shouldn't have used the word "gaudy" when suggesting changes. How was he to know Alya had so many _devoted_ followers. He had placated the peeved owner with a long apologetic message sent privately to her email, and that mollified her enough. He had since learned his lesson, and stuck to his own analysis instead of posting his opinions.

But a few weeks later he noticed the site had revamped its color scheme. He smiled.

Now, though, he watched a video that showed a bit more post-battle interaction between the two heroes. Maybe he should back away and let Adrien sort out his own way in life. The close relationship with his partner shone during their battles as they fought back-to-back. They trusted each other explicitly, even if they didn't know their identities outside of the masks.

A few minutes later, Gabriel rubbed a hand over his face with a low groan of disbelief. The shameless flirting, the overuse of banal puns, the casual way Chat Noir addressed his partner. _That_ was how his son expected to win over the love of his life? Had his son learned _nothing_ from his well-mannered upbringing? Gabriel winced as Ladybug sauntered a few steps away before flinging out her yo-yo and sailing through the streets, leaving his love-struck son staring wistfully at the spot she vacated. Adrien had it _bad_ for his partner. Was that really the only way he knew how to flirt? That settled it. He would _definitely_ have to guide his son to win over Ladybug's heart. Gabriel frowned. Subtly, of course. He didn't want to spook Adrien by revealing he knew of his son's extracurricular escapades.

He had sworn he wouldn't get involved with his son's superhero lifestyle. But those puns simply _murdered_ the ears. Desperate times called for desperate measures. He just had to be careful. A hint here and there, a gentle nudge in the proper direction. Perhaps he can salvage his son's pathetic attempts at seduction. Though to be fair, if Gabriel was a betting man, even _he_ wouldn't have wagered upon Adrien's success.

After a few more days of meticulously combing through every single video, interview, photo, and analysis on the _Ladyblog_ , Gabriel believed he had a fair grasp of his son's flirting techniques. Or rather, the lack thereof. He twirled a pen, deep in thought over a new problem.

He hadn't been able to spend much time with Adrien as of late, and he couldn't exactly pull his son aside and declare "Adrien, your Chat Noir flirting techniques are horrendous. Show a bit of class." Nope. Wouldn't do. How would he be able to convey his advice to Adrien? He supposed he could lead by example. But on whom? The only lady he interacted with regularly was his assistant, and the mental image of him dropping suave pick-up lines on Nathalie caused an involuntary cringe. He didn't relish the thought of having her quit the instant the words left his mouth. Or walking away with a slapped cheek. Or both. She was such a good assistant. Hmm, perhaps he could ask her for her help in this matter. If she had a heads-up as to his intentions, she might be willing to play along. Ah, but then he would have to explain _how_ he knew of Adrien's horrendous flirting habits. And that wasn't a conversation he was willing to have with his assistant, no matter how much he trusted her.

Back to square one.

As luck would have it, the first lesson occurred during a bit of an impromptu outing with his son. He needed to check on something at his main office. It was a beautiful spring day, sunny but still lingering with the faint chilly remains of winter. He eschewed his driver in favor of walking. He often drew inspiration from everyday encounters and enjoyed meandering through the Parisian streets, observing the world around him. The summer line would be due soon enough, and he could do with getting a head start. Adrien tagged along, fiddling with his earbuds and muttering something to his shirt pocket and _dear lord_ he was so obvious it was a miracle in itself his identity hasn't been discovered already. Gabriel cleared his throat.

"Is your shirt dirty?" he asked, stopping in front of a nondescript window. He faced his son.

Adrien's hand dropped and he stared up at his father. "Uh... what?"

"Your shirt. I couldn't help but notice you keep looking down at it. Did you spill something on it?" Gabriel decided to tease Adrien a bit. "Let me have a look. I know how to get any stain out of any fabric." He bent down to peer at his son's pocket. Flustered, Adrien stumbled backwards a few steps and held out a hand to stop his father.

"No, no, it's nothing like that. I was getting... a little hot and wanted to fan myself. So I don't sweat."

Gabriel straightened and fixed his son with a steady look, one Adrien returned with ease. Where had his son learned to lie so well? A stiff wind blew through the narrow street then, fluttering Gabriel's coat and eliciting a small shudder from Adrien. Well, perhaps not _that_ well. Sweating indeed. Gabriel chose to ignore Adrien's obvious lie and turned back around. Thankfully, his son won't be talking to thin air anytime soon. He hoped not, at least.

A vocal argument caught his attention at the same time as Adrien's. Father and son turned in unison to the source. A dark-haired woman sat across from a man, staring at him aghast.

"How dare you," she cried, clearly fighting tears. "Of all days, why today?" She buried her face into her hands.

The man stared down at her, his expression bland. At her sobs, guilt flashed through his eyes and he reached out with one tentative hand to attempt to comfort her. Thinking better of it, he sighed and murmured something to her in a low voice. She continued sobbing, ignoring his efforts to communicate. After a few seconds of this he stood, frustrated with her unyielding cries, and stalked away, not once looking back. Adrien's hand clenched into a fist and glared at the man, clearly wanting to chase after him, but Gabriel swiftly stepped forward. Adrien dropped his hand as his father's sudden actions caught him off guard.

Gabriel had instinctively cataloged her outfit the moment he spotted her – a chic skirt in pale orange and cream-colored silk blouse with a bright yellow scarf to add a pop of color. He paused a moment beside a flower cart and selected the brightest orange sunflower he could find, paid the vendor, and continued onward to the woman now attempting in vain to compose herself. Adrien trailed behind without a word, curiosity burning in his eyes as he no doubt wondered what exactly his father intended.

Gabriel reached the woman and stopped beside her chair, extending the sunflower to her. She looked up in astonishment. "I am so terribly sorry that man cannot see what a travesty it is to cause someone so beautiful to weep." The woman continued to gape at him. He offered a gentle smile. "I hope this brightens the darkness in your day."

A slight flush appeared on her cheeks as she accepted the sunflower with a small smile. "Thank you," she said, reaching in her purse for a tissue to dab her eyes. A square of white interrupted her search and she looked back up. Gabriel held out his handkerchief, decorated with his brand's logo and monogrammed initials. With another blush, she accepted and thanked him.

"Madam, in my humblest opinion, that man is worth neither your time nor your tears." With these parting words, Gabriel turned and left the table.

"Wait!" she called after him. He turned. She held out his handkerchief.

He shook his head. "It is yours, madam. I sincerely hope it never has to wipe tears from your eyes again."

"Thank you, Mr...?"

"Gabriel," he answered.

"Thank you, Gabriel," she said, "for your kindness."

"You're welcome."

He turned back and swept past Adrien, ignoring his open-mouthed stare. He knew the silence wouldn't last, and sure enough after a few dozen steps, Adrien voiced his disbelief.

"What was that?" he asked, falling in stride with his father.

"That, Adrien, was the devastation of a fool breaking up with a woman and leaving her to fend for herself in her grief." Gabriel continued walking past the shops. They were nearing his office, but he slowed his gait, guessing that this conversation might last a while longer.

Adrien frowned. "That's not what I meant, Father, why did you buy her a flower?"

Gabriel released a long-suffering sigh. "It was an orange sunflower, Adrien. Sunflowers, to signify that she should not give up on that which makes her happy and to signify my pure intentions. Orange because it complemented her outfit."

Adrien frowned at this revelation. "Uh, flowers have meanings?"

"Of course they do. Do you honestly expect that for centuries of courtship, men relied upon the intellectual romantics of a joke or a pun?"

Adrien bristled. "I like puns."

"And those are perfectly acceptable to banter about with friends, but not for romantic endeavors. Take, for instance, the actions of our intrepid hero Chat Noir."

As expected, Adrien's head shot up and he fixed Gabriel with an intense stare. "What about him?" His eyes bored into Gabriel.

"It's quite obvious that Ladybug and he are merely friends," Gabriel said, keeping his voice a steady tone of nonchalance, "despite the tabloid stories. Chat Noir _jokes_ with Ladybug. You must have seen their interactions at our home. Casual flirts tossed about as frequently as insults to their opponent. Ladybug knows that Chat Noir doesn't take those seriously. She knows to him it's just playful banter with no romantic intent." As expected, his words struck a chord with Adrien. He hid a smile as his son frowned and slowed in his steps, thinking very carefully upon his words.

They walked the rest of the way to the office in silence and made it past the front desk before Adrien spoke again.

"What about all those times Chat Noir took a hit for Ladybug?" he asked as Gabriel pushed open the door to his office and stepped inside. He tapped a switch on the wall and light flooded the darkened room. Gabriel faced his son for a moment.

"Whatever do you mean?"

Adrien followed his father inside the office and closed the door behind him. "Well, you know," he said as he ticked them off on his fingers, "Puppeteer's puppets, Dark Cupid's arrow, Timebreaker's tou– Father? Are you okay?" Adrien's brows furrowed in concern. "You've gone pale. Are you feeling okay?"

Gabriel stood frozen, staring at Adrien, the blood drained from his face.

"Father?" Adrien's voice grew worried. "Father!" he cried.

Gabriel blinked. He shook his head. And immediately regretted his decision as the floor rushed up to meet him. Adrien darted forward in a flash. He grabbed Gabriel's elbow before he tumbled to the ground. Adrien secured his arm around Gabriel's back and guided him over to the couch. "Wait here, Father," Adrien ordered, "I'll go summon some help."

"No," Gabriel called out, gripping his head in his hands. Adrien paused with his hand on the doorknob. "I'll be okay. Just a sudden bout of dizziness."

"I'll get some water," Adrien said and slipped out the door before Gabriel could protest again. Gabriel closed his eyes. Only seconds passed before Adrien returned, hastily cracking the seal on a bottle of water. "Here," he commanded, thrusting the bottle in Gabriel's hands. He accepted with a murmur of thanks and forced himself to sip it instead of gulping it down. "Father, are you okay?"

Gabriel took a few more sips of water, still attempting to school his expression into one of calm indifference. "I'll be fine," he assured Adrien. "What did you mean earlier?" he questioned, going back to the reason he nearly collapsed in the first place.

Adrien peered at him in confusion. "Earlier?"

"About Chat Noir taking hits for Ladybug," Gabriel prompted, hoping he didn't sound too desperate.

"Oh." Adrien shrugged like it was no big deal. "It's just what he does. He's taken lots of hits for her, even getting temporarily controlled by the akuma victims. Doesn't that show that he loves her?"

Oh dear lord he could _not_ handle this right now. His son – his brave, lovesick, _stupid_ son – has nearly died on more than one occasion to protect Ladybug. How had he not known this? Why had he missed all of this? The videos showed none of this!

"Wha- H-how-" Gabriel gulped and started again, "How do you know this? It's not in the news reports."

Adrien flushed at first, then thought about it and turned his gaze to his father with suspicion. "Since when do you read the news reports on Ladybug and Chat Noir?"

"Since they personally saved me several weeks ago."

Adrien deflated. "Oh, well I think it's on the _Ladyblog_ ," Adrien offered.

No, it wasn't. He scoured every _inch_ of that blog. Every link had been clicked, every picture downloaded and studied in detail, every video meticulously analyzed a half-dozen times. He let it drop. But made a mental note that his son needed to invent better excuses. Really, his constant trips to the shower made him seem like a germophobe. His friends either thought Adrien was weird or Gabriel had impressed that attitude into his son over a lifetime. Gabriel wasn't too pleased with either possibility.

"Isn't that enough?" Adrien's voice shook Gabriel from his musings. What were they discussing? Oh, right. His son's death wish.

"There are several kinds of love, Adrien," Gabriel explained. "Yes, while it shows that Chat Noir loves Ladybug, it doesn't show that they are in any way _romantically_ in love." Gabriel toyed with the idea of pointing out that Adrien would jump in front of danger to protect someone like Nino but that didn't mean he was in love with him. He refrained, thinking that might lead to some uncomfortable confessions that Gabriel would jump in front of those same dangers to protect Adrien as well. He didn't want to stun the boy into a coma.

Oh, he was definitely going to punch Hawkmoth in the jaw once he finally laid eyes upon him.

Adrien quieted at that. Gabriel recapped the water and rose to his feet in slow, easy movements. He walked over to his desk, waving off Adrien's offer of assistance, and spent the next half-hour working on some last minute design changes. Adrien stuck his earbuds back in and played on his phone in silence until Gabriel was ready to leave.

The walk home was uneventful and Adrien didn't speak much during the time back. Gabriel hoped he was pondering the day. Or plotting for the future. When he caught Adrien's eyes near the mansion, they shone with grim determination. Gabriel hid a smile. It would appear Adrien inherited his resolve after all.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note** : This is planned to be a three-chapter story (updated weekly). I hope you enjoy it! I love writing about little-used characters and I'm a total sucker for redemption-type stuff. I hope Gabriel is not Hawkmoth but he's able to grow into something that's not a complete jerkface (yes, I said jerkface). In that regard, I suppose he is wildly out-of-character in this story._


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

A few days passed before the next akuma attack. Gabriel spent the day in his office at the mansion, frowning over some of the choices in the accessories for his summer line. Adrien poked his head in to ask him a question about school – something about an upcoming event and could he please attend? Gabriel promised him he would consider it after reviewing his grades. They both felt the tremor at the same time. Adrien darted over to the window and peered out. Gabriel was tempted to follow, but already suspected what happened.

"Akuma!" Adrien exclaimed. Gabriel said nothing and continued to ponder his sketches. Adrien shot a quick look at him but Gabriel pretended not to notice. Adrien's gaze flickered down at his shirt pocket and he slipped away with a rushed excuse so weak even Nathalie's stoic poker face dropped for an instant. She glanced at him with a raised eyebrow but Gabriel ignored her and turned back to his work, flipping through to the page displaying the purses, wallets, and clutches.

"Sir," she said in a low voice. Apparently she wasn't going to take the hint. He looked up from his sketchpad. "If I may, about Adrien-"

"He's scared of the attacks," Gabriel offered, cutting through her objections with soft gentleness. "Ever since that one akuma targeted our home. He retreats to his room." Gabriel bowed his head. "I would rather not reveal to him I know this. I'm sure it would only further embarrass him. I had hoped he would come to me with his worries, but I suppose I can only offer support from afar. He is growing up faster than I care to admit."

Nathalie blinked in surprise, then her expression molded into one of sorrow before smoothing back into placid serenity. Whatever she had expected him to say, it was not that. Gabriel knew Adrien would kill him if he discovered that Nathalie now pitied him over a supposed fear of attacks, but perhaps that will teach the boy to formulate better excuses in the future. Gabriel figured he had bought his son an easy reason to escape for the next few attacks. Maybe the next dozen or so, depending on how long Adrien decided to milk it. Seeing how often Adrien latched onto his flimsy shower excuse, Gabriel suspected he might have to brainstorm a _lot_ more excuses for his son. Pushing that from his mind for the time being, he picked up his sketchbook again and studied the embroidery on one purse, erasing and resketching the design with practiced ease until Nathalie's tablet chimed and she stepped away to conduct some business.

The moment the door clicked shut, Gabriel dropped his sketchbook on his desk and lunged for his newly replaced remote. He flipped through the stations with a slight air of desperation until at last the news appeared. He turned on his other monitor and pulled up the _Ladyblog_ , tracking Alya's progress as well. Gabriel leaned forward and planted his hands on his desk. His eyes bored into the screen, flickering back and forth between his two sources. He stood in tense silence for several long moments, never once glancing away from the action on his monitors.

Chat Noir popped into the screen at last, somersaulting over a couple of chimneys before landing with astounding nimbleness upon a flagpole. The victim stood in front of him on a rooftop near the edge of a building under construction. Scaffolding latticed the sides of several buildings and he spotted a large park in the background. Gabriel heard a few faint cheers coming from the crowd as Chat flashed the civilians a cheeky grin before turning his attentions to the latest threat.

"Focus, Adrien," Gabriel muttered under his breath. "Don't get distracted showing off."

The latest akuma victim – from what little he could deduce from it's hideous design (honestly, he almost wished _he_ would be akumatized so he could show Paris how a proper villain should look) – was upset because... dogs were the superior pet?

He narrowed his eyes.

 _That_ couldn't be right.

He hated these reporters. Gabriel clicked through Alya's blog as new information appeared on her _Live Attack_ feed. Unsurprisingly, the girl had already posted several close-up images of the villain and Gabriel selected a couple to enlarge and analyze.

Apparently the latest victim – a girl – didn't get the memo that browns were definitely _not_ in season. Decorative felt dog bones covered her beige knee-length dress. The chain belt looped around her waist held several more bones, though Gabriel had a sneaky suspicion those were not just decoration this time. An enormous food bowl perched on her head in lieu of a hat. Everywhere her head tossed, bits of kibble sprayed on the ground. Angry dogs sprouted where the kibble landed, snarling and circling around the girl. Their eyes never wavered from Chat, just awaiting an order from their master to attack. In her left hand, she wielded a retractable leash, the black plastic pulsating with an ominous purple glow. She flicked it and a leash snapped out, aiming straight for Chat. He leaped up and the whip cracked harmlessly against the rooftop. Chat landed, smirked at the villain, and Gabriel watched his mouth form a silent retort.

 _"Careful, you're going to give me whip-leash."_

Alya was nothing if not fast with her typing. Chat's mocking insult popped up on the news feed seconds after he uttered it. She must have a partner there assisting her. There is no feasible way she could keep her camera steady on the action and type up the transcript of the battle at the same time. Gabriel resisted the urge to smack his forehead. He certainly sympathized with Ladybug in moments like these. Alya hunkered down too far away from the battle to capture sound through the poor microphone on her phone (maybe Gabriel should make an anonymous donation to her cause), so instead she typed up the ensuing conversation on a duplicate laptop. Gabriel scanned through the description of the battle thus far, but aside from obvious demands like "give me your Miraculous", there wasn't much dialogue to report yet.

The victim – now christened Dog Walker (thank you again, Alya) – plucked a handful of bones from her belt and chucked them at Chat Noir. He twirled his baton, deflecting the bones. They hurtled though the air before striking a chimney, where they then combined and transformed into a menacing three-headed dog. Or it might have been menacing had it been something other than a three-headed Papillon. Sometimes Hawkmoth's sense of humor bordered upon the inane. Chat stopped and he brightened like a kid at Christmas at the small creature. A giant smile broke across his face and he looked around in excitement for someone to share in his gleeful joy. Gabriel _knew_ his son was thoroughly reveling in the very obvious pun staring at him right in the face. Only Adrien could get so excited by a perfect pun opportunity. The miniature Cerberus growled and barked, shooting fire from each mouth. The stream from the middle head raced towards Chat.

Startled, Chat jumped back a bit too far and found himself at the edge of the roof. Mouth open in surprise, Chat whirled his arms in a desperate bid to stabilize himself as he teetered on the thin brick wall.

Gabriel sucked in a breath and held it for one long, horrible moment.

Chat's foot slipped and he tumbled over the rooftop just as a tiny round red and black blur whizzed past, grappling around Chat's waist. As he fell, the yo-yo's string caught like a pulley on a lamppost, dangling Chat underneath and swinging him like a pendulum. Chat twisted under the pole and seized the opportunity to roll out of the yo-yo's string and land beside his partner. He beamed at her. Her head dropped into her hand. Gabriel discovered the reason a few moments later.

 _"Hello, Ladybug. Arf you glad to see me?"_

Yeah, he didn't blame her one bit.

Chat Noir pointed out the Papillon threat and opened his mouth with a wide smile to tell her the pun he must have come up with in the last five minutes. Ladybug beat him to it, slapping a hand over his mouth to stop the horrendous assault of pun-filled antics.

The two heroes deflected a few more hits, discussing a bit of strategy as they jumped around the dogs.

 _"Why don't you take out that yo-yo and show her how to Walk the Dog?"_

Ladybug's lips pursed in irritation for a moment before her eyes gleamed. She lobbed her yo-yo up in the air, crying her signature move. A red and black leaf-blower dropped into her arms and she staggered a bit under the weight. Both heroes cast a befuddled look at the object. Ladybug scanned her surroundings for a few seconds before leaning close to Chat and whispering something to him. He grinned and nodded. She cranked the leaf-blower and once Chat heard her revving it, he catapulted himself at Dog Walker. He tore his baton apart in mid-air and shot both pieces at the villain. She turned, following the arc and cracked her whip-like leash at them. While she was distracted, Chat raised his hand high into the air and a black cloud surrounded his fist. Gabriel didn't need Alya's play-by-play to know his son activated his Cataclysm.

Landing in the middle of the pack of angry dogs, Chat slammed his hand against the edge of one of the scaffolding chains. It disintegrated at his touch. The scaffolding itself splintered into dozens of wooden shards.

Chat snatched his two baton pieces out of the air as they circled back to him. He ducked behind an air duct, separating him from Ladybug while he connected his staff back together. He planted his feet and wedged himself against the air duct. Chat raised his arms above his head. As the wooden pieces rained down upon him, he twirled his staff into the familiar shield, protecting him from the destruction. Gabriel watched as Ladybug aimed the leaf-blower in his direction, blasting the pieces past him. He remained safe from both the leaf-blower's powerful gusts of wind and the collateral debris from his attack.

The wind scattered the pieces of wood and shot them past Dog Walker, who flung up her arms to cover her face. Every dog snapped to attention, each canine eye following the rapidly disappearing bits of wood as the impossibly strong wind scattered them throughout the streets of Paris.

 _Woof!_

 _Woof woof woof woof!_

That set them off. Howling and barking madly, every single dog (mini-Cerberus included) bounded happily after the wooden pieces. Within seconds, the dogs vanished, leaving only Dog Walker and the two heroes. Chat sprung out from behind the air duct and extended his baton, snagging the leash weapon and slinging it behind him into the waiting hands of Ladybug, who stamped her foot upon it. Gabriel's jaw dropped open as the realization sunk in that Ladybug defeated an akuma by _throwing a stick_. Moments later, the city returned to it's normal life and Ladybug turned to leap away when Chat reached out and clasped her wrist, stilling her movement.

Gabriel expected another pun. " _Don't worry M'Lady, I think you're quite_ fetching." Or perhaps " _I would always chase you even if I was_ dog _tired._ " But Chat's face held no familiar smirk. No tinge of lightheartedness. No casual swagger like how he conducted himself after Gabriel's unfortunate encounter with akumatized hypnosis.

She turned in surprise as her other hand touched an earring on reflex. It must have beeped again. She had to be anxious to hide before her transformation dissolved. Chat reached into the zipper of one of his pockets and withdrew a pink carnation, only slightly crumpled from its time spent in his suit. He held it out to her with a sincere smile. His mouth moved, saying something too low for even Alya's sharp ears to catch. Ladybug gaped at him for a moment before accepting the flower with a blush. Chat said something else in a low voice before he turned and bounded away upon his extendable baton, leaving her staring at the spot where he last stood.

 _Good one, Adrien,_ Gabriel thought with a small smile of approval. Pink carnation. Gratitude. Thanking Ladybug for being his partner? For their close friendship? For putting up with his antics? For always being there for him? Gabriel didn't know what his son had said to her, but he knew the meaning behind the flower. He could suss out the rest of the conversation.

* * *

A few weeks passed since Dog Walker (who ended up getting akumatized because the city planned to destroy the park behind her residence where she walked dogs as a part-time job) and the carnation incident and Gabriel found his son's lack of romantic progress vexing. Sure, Alya pounced upon the flower display, posting pictures and video on her blog and leading long-winded discussions about what exactly it all meant. But the spark surrounding them only lasted a few days before news grew tired and stale and gossip commentators rehashed the same facts over and over again. Gabriel needed to drop another hint. Soon. He grew weary of reading the same trite information presented in a different manner. He hated recycling fashion designs and he hated wasting his time with old news.

The idea came to him at breakfast one day.

Adrien sat to one side of him, munching on a grain muffin. Gabriel had long since finished his food and remained at the table, flipping through the _Ladyblog_ on his tablet while taking occasional sips from his coffee. He attempted to at least make a presence at breakfast as often as he could, even if he conducted business in his own quiet corner most of the time. At first, Adrien tried to strike up conversations with uncertainty, afraid to disturb his father. But Gabriel did his best to reply even if the answers were short and stilted. All too often their talk faded into uncomfortable silence. Gabriel discovered that if he kept the conversations to harmless topics like school and Adrien's friends, they could usually survive breakfast without any awkwardly drawn out pauses. The polite stiffness dissolved over time, and the two began eating in a more comfortable silence until his assistant would enter with the daily schedule and news.

As if on cue, Nathalie entered, dressed in her usual red turtleneck shirt under a black pantsuit. Gabriel immediately minimized the _Ladyblog_ window while Nathalie recited his daily schedule to him. Gabriel memorized it already, but the coordination with Nathalie ensured nothing was amiss. Adrien palmed a piece of cheese and dropped it on his lap. Gabriel had noticed a marked improvement at the kid's ability to filch food for his kwami.

"Sir, I've had to move the meeting scheduled for ten back an hour and shuffle the presentation of the accessories to one this afternoon," Nathalie's calm voice broke through Gabriel's focus.

That caught his attention. "Why?" he demanded.

"Several of the designers that were to attend got stuck in the coffee shop attack this morning."

Gabriel resisted the urge to look at Adrien. He knew his son had been awake since four dealing with the early morning akuma.

"That is unfortunate," Gabriel said instead. He slid his finger across his tablet. "The updated schedule appears satisfactory. Please add in a meeting with our contractor during the open time, if he's available to come on such short notice."

"I will arrange it," Nathalie replied, her fingers already dancing upon her screen. "May I inquire as to the reason?"

Gabriel flipped his tablet around to show her the new sketch he had just pulled up. Adrien looked up from his food as well, interested in his father's departure from his usual rigid schedule. "It's something the staff have talked about for a while. I overheard them one morning when I was in the main office. I would like to install a coffee bar there. It should cut those mid-morning runs down considerably and increase work production."

Adrien stared at his father in shock. Even Nathalie appeared flustered as she peered at the rough sketch and then adjusted her glasses.

"I see."

"How long have you been working on that?" Adrien blurted out.

Gabriel flicked his finger across the screen, minimizing the design. "Since I heard the staff talking weeks ago. I have most of the materials selected and am awaiting the shipments to arrive. Ah, that reminds me, Nathalie, I would like you to schedule interviews for barista positions. I believe five openings shall be adequate. Four staff and one manager. That should provide ample enough coverage for the morning and lunchtime crowds. Please do not indicate that it is to be with my company in the initial advertisement. I desire competent baristas, not desperate interns so focused on finding a way to get their foot in the door at _Gabriel_ to spend any amount of time on their own job. I estimate the job to begin within three months."

Adrien gaped at him even as Nathalie acknowledged his request and added it to her timetable. Gabriel spared another glance at his son. "Also, since the presentation likely will bleed into the evening, despite our best efforts to maintain a strict timetable, cancel Adrien's photoshoot until we have finalized the accessories to our liking."

Adrien perked up at this. Gabriel turned his focus upon him. "Adrien, you'll have a free afternoon today. I suggest using it wisely."

"Thank you, Father!" his son exclaimed and Gabriel hid a smile behind an aloof nod. The kid needed some rest after today's battle. Nathalie departed and Adrien's expression of joy turned to confusion. "Why did you do that?"

Gabriel looked to him. "Do what?"

"Build the coffee bar."

Gabriel smiled with genuine smugness this time. "Because I took the time to listen to what was needed in the office, and I acted upon it. Though I cannot implement _every_ suggestion I hear, I thought this one out thoroughly and planned it and through my calculations it will be both well-received and a boon to the business."

"You took the time to listen?" Adrien repeated.

Gabriel set his tablet upon the tabletop and fixed Adrien with his undivided attention. "An employers relationship with their employees is much like a relationship between husband and wife. An employer cannot expect to override _all_ of the wishes of their employees, lest they find their own business suffers. If you build the backbone of a relationship upon one of giving, it will yield infinitely better results and your endeavors will be rewarded tenfold."

"But you're always so..." Adrien trailed off as he struggled to find a polite way of saying what Gabriel was certain would be less than a favorable assessment of his character. He saved him the trouble.

"I expect impeccable work ethic and I hold every employee to the highest standards. That does not mean I am unsympathetic."

In retrospect, perhaps showing Adrien that he planned to build a coffee bar in response to his staff's laments over good on-site coffee was a bit overboard. It's how a few days later, he found himself staring after his son as he raced around the mansion.

"Adrien," Gabriel began, interrupting the kid's hyper pursuit of... something. "What has caused you to stampede around the house?"

"Father!" Adrien cried, skidding upon the tile when his father addressed him. He deftly twirled around, his Chat Noir reflexes kicking in before he caught his balance and halted. Gabriel continued to stare at him. "I uhm, am looking for something."

"Did you not think to ask?"

"I didn't want to disturb you."

Gabriel refrained from pointing out that twenty minutes of shoes pounding on the ground qualified as _disturbing him_ and decided to focus on the question at hand. "What are you looking for?"

Oddly, this caused Adrien to flush deep red and duck his head, mumbling something incomprehensible. Gabriel cleared his throat. Adrien met his eyes and repeated himself. "Our tent."

That was unexpected.

Mistaking his baffled look for anger, Adrien hurried to explain. "I have a uh... friend, who likes to spend lots of time outdoors. But uh, sometimes when it rains, she has nowhere to stay dry. I know we haven't really gone camping in ages, and I just figured she might get more use out of it than we are."

"Would a raincoat or umbrella not suffice?" Gabriel asked, already knowing the answer.

Adrien's jaw set in that unmistakable way that told Gabriel he would not be dissuaded from his idea. "I wanted something a bit more permanent," he said. "Once she arrives at her location, she doesn't move much from it. I was hoping to find something that allowed her to stay dry, yet would be mobile and easy to conceal."

 _Easy to conceal against one leg of the Eiffel Tower, no doubt,_ Gabriel thought. "Something like a lean-to, then?" he suggested instead.

Adrien's eyes lit up. "Yes!" he exclaimed. "Maybe something clear, so she could see out of it as the rain scattered down around her."

Hmm. Not a bad idea. "Why not commission it?" Gabriel suggested after a moment of thought. Adrien deflated.

"I wouldn't know how to do that," he said.

Well, that was easy enough to fix. Gabriel pushed open the door to his office. "Come in, I'll help you with the design."

Adrien glowed with happiness and he bounded inside the office ahead of his father. "Thank you!" he cried.

They spent the rest of the morning sketching out ideas, with Adrien explaining his vision and Gabriel's expert hands committing his son's mental picture to paper with practiced, deft strokes of his pencil. Adrien had no problem telling Gabriel when his design strayed too far from what he wanted, and Gabriel in turn did not hesitate to inform Adrien when his fanciful ideas bordered on impossible. A couple of hours later, when they finally stopped for lunch, Gabriel held in his hands a prototype for a hybrid blend of a lean-to and a clear tent. The deceptively simple design allowed for easy and fast assembly, yet folded down into a into a small, snug bundle. Since the main materials were thin, lightweight flexible rods and clear plastic, Gabriel knew Adrien could just tuck it inside a crevice on their favorite spot in Paris (again, thank you Alya for that little tidbit).

A few days after the tent arrived, a springtime shower blanketed Paris. Gabriel watched the rain outside of his window, spending a long moment to cast his thoughts to his son and wonder how his gift worked out. And later that evening at dinner, he didn't even comment on Adrien's still-damp hair or the goofy grin plastered upon his face.

Ladybug clearly liked her present.

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_** _I originally planned on making this a three-shot, but I started thinking of ideas for a sequel. However, that plot started to run away from me and get too complicated to write. So, I'm probably going to take out the convoluted stuff and simplify it into an epilogue chapter. There will probably end up being four chapters to this story, not three as I previously stated._

 _Thank you all very much for all of your support! I'm stoked so many people are enjoying this! Gabriel is so fun to write, he leaves a lot open for his character to develop._


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

The _Ladyblog_ was both heating up and dying down. Heating up because every few days another picture popped up of Chat Noir and Ladybug, and it certainly appeared the two were growing closer. Dying down, because the pictures, while physically new, showed the same thing. Over and over. The occasional flower, the pointed looks, the closeness between the partners... but not _too_ close. Ugh. Gabriel would have to speed things up again.

One afternoon, he took out an old faded scrapbook. He flipped through it, fingering some of the pictures, lost in nostalgia. He often withdrew it, though lately not as often as he would like to admit. Some of the memories _hurt._ Most did. He flipped a page and his lips twitched upward into a soft smile. It was a picture from early in their relationship – he and his wife (then only his girlfriend) grinning like fools in front of an abstract stone wall. _Gabriel's first inspiration,_ read the inscription, printed in his wife's neat script. It wasn't his first inspiration but his wife often teased that it was the moment he decided to start _Gabriel_. Back when they were only dating and he flustered and stumbled through his words, and she laughed and smiled and accepted him for all the unfocused enthusiasm he directed at the world around him.

He missed those days.

But he was not here to idly revel in memories of his youth. Despite the waves of sadness crashing into him and the urge to continue reliving those memories, Gabriel set the book aside on one corner of his desk. Then, he left the room.

He had summoned Adrien to his office and then intentionally vacated the room a few moments before he was scheduled to arrive. Gabriel wandered into his bedroom and selected a folder at random before meandering back to his office, weaving a lazy serpentine path through the house. He walked slow and deliberate, lingering along the hallways and studying the various paintings and portraits around his home as if seeing them in a new light. After several long moments, he finally returned to his office. Inside, as expected, he caught Adrien flipping through the scrapbook.

He watched Adrien for a few moments in silence, walking over to him with careful, precise footsteps. He stood over his shoulder like a quiet sentinel and peered at the pages with his son. Adrien didn't notice as he was too engrossed in the album.

"That was a fun month," Gabriel said at last, as Adrien stopped on a page covered in folded napkins, ticket stubs, and scraps of paper – some with designs sketched on the margins.

Adrien slammed the book shut and jumped high into the air. "Father!" he cried, spinning around in his chair so fast he almost toppled over. "You startled me."

Gabriel reached out and steadied the chair with a calm hand. "I apologize, Adrien. I forgot a folder in my room." He held up said folder in explanation.

Guilt flashed through Adrien's face as he hung his head. "I'm sorry for looking through your stuff." He set the scrapbook back down on the desk. Gabriel forced a smile even as more painful memories surfaced. He reached over and picked up the book, pulling up another chair to sit beside Adrien.

"It's okay," he assured him, opening the scrapbook back to the page where Adrien stopped. "There's nothing to apologize for." Gabriel fingered one napkin, a small square cocktail with a long-faded logo stamped in the corner. A single heart adorned it, penned in pale pink. The edges of the napkin withered with a faint yellow, as if someone had brushed against it with a paintbrush ever so lightly. "Your mother and I used to exchange what she liked to call 'reminders'."

Adrien cast him a puzzled look. Gabriel pointed to the napkin and one or two other scraps. "It became a game between us. To leave clues hidden around for the other to discover. 'I'm just thinking of you.' That was our message. She took great pride in slipping hints between the pages of my designs for me to find during meetings and brainstorming sessions. Between the two of us, she beat me out in creativity nearly every time."

Adrien looked back at the pages. His face clouded in uncertainty. Gabriel figured he must be questioning the sudden fountain of emotion pouring from his father.

"This one though," Gabriel said, pointing to a pamphlet from a local art exhibit, "was all mine."

He tugged it from the protective bindings with a gentle prod and handed it to Adrien. On the front, a half-dozen people gathered in front of a statue. The title announced the date and time of a week-long art show at a local museum. Adrien studied it for a moment. He looked at Gabriel, who just smiled and pointed to the picture.

"Look closer."

With his father's encouragement, Adrien bent his head close to the glossy pamphlet. He gasped when he spotted it. In the corner, the young blonde-haired man on the far right held a small napkin with a familiar butterfly drawn on and colored over with black marker. The man faced the statue, but crossed his arms over his chest and slouched an an oh-so-casual manner. A faint smirk tugged at the corners of his lips, as if he shared a private joke with someone. In one hand, he faced the napkin to the camera. With his arms folded, it gave the appearance the man didn't realize he held something in his hands and it just so _happened_ to face the camera at the perfect moment. Adrien gasped, recognizing the distinctive _Gabriel_ butterfly at last.

"Father, that's you?" he asked, a bit incredulous.

Gabriel beamed, his face glowing with pride. "My best work," he declared. "The photographers asked us bystanders if we would be interested in promoting the art festival that day. I had already come to scout out ideas for my budding business and couldn't resist the urge to slip a hint in the photograph. Of course, when the exhibit actually opened a few weeks later, I turned it into a date night with your mother. You should have seen her shock when she finally recognized me on the front cover of the pamphlet."

Adrien grew silent for a while, studying the various memorabilia collected in the pages. "Why did you guys do that?"

"Because someone should always be told they're in your thoughts. Every waking moment of everyday."

Adrien blinked hard. A thread of guilt pierced Gabriel. He meant to drop hints for Adrien to use on Ladybug, not depress his son with sad memories. He clasped a hand on Adrien's shoulder. "I'm sorry for bringing this up," he said.

"No, Father, it's okay," Adrien reassured him. "I'm... glad you did. I wish I knew more about Mom."

Gabriel frowned. Words escaped him. Adrien, perhaps sensing his discomfort, stood and picked up the scrapbook, closing it reverently and offering it to Gabriel. "Thank you for sharing this with me," he said. "Was there something that you wished to discuss?"

Oh right, the supposed reason he summoned Adrien into his office in the first place. "Erm, it can wait for another time." He accepted the book and placed it back in his desk drawer. "Adrien, anytime you want to look at this, all you have to do is ask."

"Thanks, Father." Adrien departed the office, no doubt headed to his room. Hopefully to ponder over his Ladybug predicament and not his mother. After all, it would take quite a bit of creativity to leave "thinking of you" notes to someone whose identity remained a mystery.

A few days later, a new article on the _Ladyblog_ caught his attention. Someone had scanned in part of the daily newspaper and posted it. The size of a small business card, the ad space contained image of a single ladybug. Gabriel chuckled. Over the next few weeks, the _Ladyblog_ compiled various newspaper tidbits surrounding Ladybug and Chat Noir. Sometimes, a cleverly worded advert caught his eye. Sometimes it was just a picture of a ladybug or a cat. Sometimes, a bigger riddle or picture puzzle appeared.

It spread like wildfire throughout Paris. Fans of the _Ladyblog_ poured over the newspaper every day and sent in their findings. It turned into a game between the fans to see who could discover Chat Noir's messages first. Gabriel participated in private, competing with the bloggers to see if he could uncover the hints before the answer was posted on the blog. Even if Ladybug didn't read the paper at first, she could hardly ignore all of the gossip surrounding her now. Gabriel knew Adrien had succeeded in this little lesson. All the pictures and all of the poems and all of the adverts over the weeks yielded a single unifying message.

 _Thinking of you._

It turns out Adrien had a bit more creativity in him than Gabriel first thought.

* * *

For all the times Gabriel had silently approached Adrien, unnoticed until the last moment, he had never thought Adrien would do the same to him.

Maybe it was his Chat Noir stealth training bleeding over into his civilian identity. Maybe he just picked up a few tricks from Gabriel. Maybe Gabriel was losing his touch in his old age.

He certainly had no explanation for the day that Adrien slipped into his office, silent as a cat, and startled Gabriel so much he jumped in fright.

Well, he twitched. At least that is what he would maintain until his dying day.

He had checked on Adrien earlier that evening, finding the window ajar and an empty wrapper of Camembert on his desk. There would be some nighttime escapades of Chat Noir reported on the _Ladyblog_ the next morning, he was certain. Gabriel retreated into his office, fully intending to get some work done. Something struck him as he pulled up files on his computer to review, some inspiration blossoming from unknown depths. As if in a trance, he had forsaken his work and withdrawn the violin he still kept in his bedroom. He hadn't touched it much since his wife vanished, mostly because she told him his playing brought her such serenity and he couldn't bear to experience that serenity alone now. He tweaked and tightened the strings, his fingers following through with the movements from pure muscle memory. Then he rosined the bow and tentatively drew it across the strings. Faint notes screeched in the air. He lifted the violin to his chin, closed his eyes, and surrendered himself to memories. A few months of inactivity couldn't begin to dull his expert form acquired from years of intense training.

The suffocating silence that permeated his home lifted for one unforgettable moment as he rushed through warm-up pieces, his fingers dancing along the strings, eager to skip ahead to his favorites.

To _her_ favorites.

And so, Gabriel played. He faced the portrait of his wife, recalling her image – her graceful form stretched across the couch, one arm dangling off the side. Her fingertips brushed against the ground but her eyes never left his face, utterly enthralled by his performance. _Magical,_ she had often called him and his skills. Magical and beautiful and soul-crushing and so _divine._ Her breathless praises encouraged him to memorize scores of songs, always eager to uncover a new tune that would make her laugh and gasp and absolutely fall in love with him just a little bit more.

He lost himself in the crescendos and the harmonies, forgetting everything around him as he played for the portrait. For his wife.

For his love.

Until he caught sight of Adrien out of the corner of his eye perched upon a chair with both hands tucked under his chin.

Adrenaline shot through his body, electrifying his senses like a live wire. Gabriel almost threw his violin in the air at the sight of the boy sitting and watching without a word. He _might_ have yelped and toppled backwards, which shattered the alluring spell and sent Adrien into fits of laughter at the sight of Gabriel sprawled on the floor, utterly stunned.

Nope, upon reflection, he most certainly did _not_ yelp.

It was a dignified gasp.

He stood after a minute and brushed himself off, pointedly _not_ making eye contact with his son. He opened the case and placed the violin inside, loosening the bow's ribbon as Adrien's composure gradually dissolved the longer Gabriel fussed over his instrument with deliberate precision. Adrien stuffed a fist into his mouth to attempt to stifle the laughter pouring from him. Tears streamed down his face. Gabriel scowled at his son, leveling his most menacing glare at the boy, but that did nothing to stem his mirth. His body shook with silent heaves as he endeavored to control himself. If Gabriel was anyone else, Adrien would have been rolling on the floor clutching his sides.

"I'm glad I'm a constant source of amusement to you," Gabriel stated, his voice dripping with ice.

Adrien pointed at him, still giggling. "That's your fault, Father, I called out to you several times. You were lost in your own world."

Yes, he was. Gabriel did admit that. Still, did Adrien have to laugh _that_ hard?

Adrien's chuckles faded. "I didn't know you could play the violin like that," he said.

"And I didn't know you enjoyed snooping around my office," Gabriel snapped in reply, then immediately regretted it. "I'm sorry, Adrien. I didn't think you were still in the house." Not wishing to hear another false excuse regarding the shower, he turned away and closed the lid of his case, fastening the clasps back into place. "I played for your mother often. I think she fell in love with my violin talents over anything else I could offer."

Adrien sobered instantly at the mention of his mother. "I've never heard you play like that," he said at last.

Gabriel shrugged, a bit embarrassed by the fuss. "I used to serenade your mother when we were in school. I always had a lingering fear that she only listened to me out of sympathy, as much as she denied it. I practiced hard as a child. 'If you master a talent, you'll impress the ladies,' one of my friends had said. I believed him, though upon wiser reflection I've no idea why. It stuck with me though."

Adrien's face shifted from rapt curiosity to one Gabriel couldn't quite decipher. He looked like he had just swallowed an undercooked fish. His brows furrowed and his mouth turned down in a grimace. His eyes shone with desperation, however, at odds with his uncertain expression. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He licked his lips, fighting an internal battle.

"What is it?" Gabriel prompted.

"Do... do you think I could play as well as you?" he asked, his eyes wide. "On the piano, of course," he hastily added. He tensed, awaiting Gabriel to crush his dreams.

Gabriel set one hand upon his shoulder. "I've heard you practice, Adrien. Any lady would melt at your feet at your mastery of the ivory keys." _Or at least one lady in particular,_ he thought.

It was as if he turned on a light. Adrien straightened, beaming up at his father. "Really?" he asked.

Gabriel cleared his throat meaningfully. "Only if you keep practicing. Idle hands lose their delicate touch."

"Of course, Father!" he agreed, jumping to his feet and rushing from the room. Gabriel watched him go and wondered where he would get the opportunity to serenade Ladybug.

Ask and ye shall receive. The week after Gabriel's spontaneous life advice, the _Ladyblog_ posted a video. Its audio had been enhanced (most likely courtesy of Nino) and Gabriel could hear the faint sounds of Beethoven's _Moonlight Sonata_ tinkling through the phone. The akuma of an opera maestro frantic over an upcoming production had blasted through Paris a few hours prior, and Chat Noir and Ladybug made quick work of the villain, purifying the akuma within moments of their arrival. Chat Noir seized the opportunity to play for Ladybug for a few minutes in the (freshly repaired) opera hall. And of course, Alya had captured the resulting evidence on her phone.

Her new phone, purchased with funds from an anonymous benefactor.

Gabriel made sure to include a special note to focus on a phone that could record decent audio as well as visual (and listed several models) and it appeared that Alya heeded his suggestions.

And Paris reaped the benefits.

* * *

Gabriel poked Adrien gently to get his attention. He nodded at the couple ahead of them. "You're staring," he stated.

Adrien shook himself and then turned to his father. "They're on a date."

Gabriel favored the couple with a sour look. "How unromantic."

"Huh?" Adrien furrowed his brows. The couple in question gripped hands and entered the cinema. "How so? They looked like they were getting along fine to me."

He smirked at the opening provided, glad to enlighten the naive teenager. "Yes, friendly enough," he agreed with Adrien. "But how is attending a movie in a theater romantic in any way?"

"Well," Adrien thought on that, "it's... dark?"

"And quiet and individualized and _unromantic_."

Adrien stopped and folded his arms. "And I suppose you think you could do better?"

Gabriel beckoned to Adrien and led him into the park across the street. After a few moments, he pointed to another couple sitting on the edge of the fountain. The man turned his full attentions to his partner, who trailed her fingers on the surface of the water while speaking in a low voice. In her other hand, she held a paper rose purchased from a local street vendor. The man leaned in, whispering something into her ear. She giggled and flicked some droplets of water at him. He laughed and she placed her hand on top of his.

Gabriel turned to Adrien and discovered him gaping at the couple. He cleared his throat. "Discretion, Adrien," he admonished in a light tone. Adrien hastily averted his eyes. "Tell me that a walk in the park at twilight and sitting on a fountain holding a single flower is not more romantic than a visit to the cinema?"

His son nodded in agreement. "They look like they're actually on a date," he said.

"It doesn't take expensive food or a fancy setting to create romance," Gabriel explained. "Some of the best times spent with your mother were exploring the different areas of Paris. Just the two of us. Romance can be spontaneous, of course, but to _create_ romance requires diligence of mind and a lot of planning."

Adrien nodded and his eyes drifted back to the couple on the fountain lip.

Gabriel needed to give him another nudge.

"How would Chat Noir romance Ladybug?" Gabriel asked. Adrien blinked in surprise. "It would be quite the challenge," Gabriel continued, "to plan a romantic evening between masked superheroes. They obviously cannot dine in a public setting. Their identities remain confidential even to each other so they cannot meet outside of their costumes."

This puzzled the young man. How _would_ Chat Noir romance Ladybug? Gabriel could practically see the wheels turning in his brain. He let Adrien stew on the question for a moment before mercifully dropping another hint. "Remember what I told you previously about listening to people? You have to listen to what your partner wants, and then provide it for them. Your mother desperately wished to view a meteor shower one night, though she knew that she would never see it in the city. I managed to procure a car, some food, and a few blankets, and drove her out beyond the city to watch them. I had neither money nor fame then but she loved what I had done for her."

Adrien said nothing, and they both stood in silence, watching the young couple rise from the fountain and continue down the path hand-in-hand, lingering for a moment at the Ladybug and Chat Noir statue so they could read the inscription.

"Come along, Adrien," Gabriel said once the couple had vanished from sight. "It's growing dark and you have school in the morning."

He started down the sidewalk again, his long strides keeping a brisk pace. Adrien bounded ahead for a moment to match his steps.

Gabriel didn't know if he would ever have complete closure for all of the advice he had given Adrien. After all, unless someone somewhere managed to snap a picture of a romantic date between Ladybug and Chat Noir, he would never know.

To his utter delight, such a picture appeared on the _Ladyblog_.

Gabriel admired his son's work with pride. The boy had invited Ladybug to watch an outdoor movie in the local park. Only, he set up a private area on a nearby rooftop. A small generator powered several strands of soft LED lights, their dim glow providing soft illumination around the blanket in the middle. Gabriel spotted a picnic basket nearby and the two smiled as they watched the movie. Ladybug rested her head upon Chat's shoulder. A pile of dark blankets was folded nearby in case either one got cold, but Chat had also strung dark blankets across clothesline to block most of the wind. Everyone in the park was absorbed in the movie. Not one person noticed the superhero duo above them.

So who got the picture, then?

Chat Noir, as it turns out. He snapped a selfie of the two of them, then forwarded it to Alya, who immediately posted it on her website. He mentally high-fived Alya for keeping such detailed notes on their progress. Without her expert website, he was certain he never would have uncovered half of the things about his son that he now knew.

An image of Chat Noir getting kicked by an akuma victim and sailing across Paris flashed through his mind.

Well, maybe he could have done without knowing _all_ of the details. Still, he would take what he could in an effort to get to know his son better.

Later that week, Gabriel still found himself clicking through the _Ladyblog_ several times throughout the day to check on his son's well-being. He was in the middle of rereading another article posted by Alya about the exact nature of Ladybug and Chat Noir's relationship and brainstorming more ideas on his designing sketchpad about other hints to drop when he heard the front door open and shut. Voices filtered into his office. Curious, he locked the monitor with a couple of button presses and stood. He slid open his office door and spotted Adrien and a hauntingly familiar girl retreating upstairs.

 _And they were holding hands._

Gabriel shut the door behind him with a loud _click_ to catch their attention. Adrien jumped in surprise and turned mid-step. Their hands dropped as if on fire and the girl let out a muffled squeak.

"Father!" Adrien cried, stepping in front of the girl. "We didn't know you were home." Guilt flashed across his face.

Of course not. He was supposed to be in his office across town, preparing for an upcoming unveiling of the menswear suits in his fashion line. He finished critiquing the designers there and decided to leave early to allow them some room to breathe and finish their work without his admittedly looming presence hovering around. Adrien mistook his silence for anger and hastily continued explaining in a nervous voice. "Uh, we're working on a school project. Sorry if we disturbed you. We'll be quieter."

He stepped out into the foyer and headed over to the two of them. "You didn't disturb me," he assured his son, who relaxed a hair at this. "I thought it would be better to finish my designs at home."

For some reason the girl perked up at this. He tried studying her discretely out of the corner of his eye, but gave up after a minute and directed his full gaze at her. She stilled, realizing her shifting movement drew his attentions.

"Father," Adrien spoke up, "uh I'd like you to meet my uh... my girlfriend." He reached down and clasped her hand again, beaming an encouraging smile at her. That didn't do much to ease her fears and Gabriel could _feel_ the uncertainty emanating from her. But Adrien held his smile. She focused on Adrien's face and suddenly her shoulders relaxed and her back straightened. She was still a bit shy, he could tell, but she definitely had some confidence buried inside her. And in that moment, it clicked.

The self-assured pose. The sanguine gleam in her eye. He had seen that expression before. On her. An image floated into his mind, along with a memory of Adrien sneezing uncontrollably. Of course! The derby hat contest winner.

"We've already met," he said, and immediately her hand strayed to her earrings. Gabriel cast a puzzled look at her. He almost gasped aloud as understanding flooded through him but clenched his jaw tight and forced himself to convey an air of calm neutrality. Earrings. How stupid of him. Ladybug. He couldn't believe he didn't instantly connect everything. His work must have taxed his intelligence more than he thought. The only person Adrien _ever_ had eyes for was Ladybug. To have begun dating a random schoolmate didn't make sense. They must have told each other the truth. It would be the only way she could have distracted Adrien from his Ladybug obsession. A shadow of darkness crossed Adrien's face and he tensed, subconsciously placing himself in a protective stance between Gabriel and the girl. "Through the school's contest," Gabriel clarified before their panicked states betrayed them further. "It's a pleasure to meet you again, Miss Marinette."

Whatever they had been expecting, it wasn't that. Both of their eyes widened. Marinette recovered first, stammering something unintelligible with a furious blush. Gabriel schooled his expression to belie no amusement at how a dauntless Ladybug could order him around, yet flustered Marinette stumbled through a simple greeting.

"You, t-too, M-Mr. Agreste."

"I'll let you two get back to your schoolwork," Gabriel said, not wanting to completely ruin the moment between the young couple. "Please inform me if you need anything."

Adrien exchanged a look with Marinette. "We will, thank you, Father," Adrien said.

"Good luck with your designs," Marinette added in a quiet voice with a soft smile. "I'm sure they'll be wonderful."

Hmm, he _had_ been working on some Ladybug and Chat Noir themed ideas. He had a prototype Chat Noir purse made – shiny black leather with emerald green inside lining to match the exterior stitching, and an oversized brass zipper across the top. An emerald green paw print rested at the very middle of the dark silver strap, reminiscent of Chat Noir's extendable baton. Perhaps he could use the input of Ladybug herself. After all, he recognized her talent. He tilted his head, regarding her thoughtfully. "If you're interested in seeing them, you're welcome to come back another day."

Adrien's jaw dropped. Marinette's face burned bright red and her hands covered her cheeks. "Ah- well- wow- really? Y-you mean that?" she blurted out in breathless excitement.

"Of course. I won't distract you today from your schoolwork, but I would consider it very helpful to get a second opinion, especially from a talented designer in my target audience."

Marinette looked like she was about to faint away at the praise and Gabriel was once again struck at the discord between her and Ladybug. _Maybe they're not the same person after all?_ A thread of doubt blossomed in his mind before he squashed it. He knew what Miraculouses looked like. She wore the Ladybug earrings. Still, he could certainly see how no one had yet associated the young girl with the confident superhero.

"Thank you, Mr. Agreste!" she said. Adrien studied Gabriel for a long moment, perhaps trying to guess if he was pulling some spiteful trick. Whatever he saw, he accepted as he finally reached for Marinette's hand again.

"C'mon, we have lots of homework to do." He urged her away as Gabriel turned and descended the stairs to go back in his office.

Once inside, he pulled up the _Ladyblog_ and debated running some interference for the two. After all, people might find it odd that Ladybug and Chat Noir began dating at the same time as Marinette and Adrien. They might start to figure things out.

Then he remembered Marinette's stutters and awkward flailing and Adrien's perfect posture. And thought on Ladybug's steadfast determination and Chat's cheeky flirts and puns. _Nah_ , he concluded, _no one will ever figure it out._

But that didn't mean he couldn't still keep an eye on his son. He might need some advice later. Maybe ideas for a gift.

Or how to propose.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:** This was originally intended to be the end, but I decided to add on an epilogue chapter. That will be out next week. Thank you all for your support and I'm thrilled you've all enjoyed this version of Gabriel as much as I enjoyed writing him!_


	4. Epilogue

_Epilogue: Running Interference_

Marinette Dupain-Cheng's skills of deception were worse than Adrien's. And considering that his son's friends currently believe he takes about five showers a day whenever an akuma attacks, that was saying quite a lot. It wasn't that her stories were outlandishly absurd or her excuses overused. In fact, Marinette often had an active imagination and an endless supply of realistic excuses. The problem lay in her delivery.

Gabriel didn't know if it was harder to believe Adrien's frequent bathroom breaks or Marinette's continuous stammering as she delivered her lines. He had hoped after the two of them _finally_ started dating that each would accent the good points of each other.

Instead, they only brought out the bad.

Over the last few weeks since Adrien had introduced his girlfriend, Gabriel noticed a consistent decline in both the quality of Marinette's stories and the delivery of Adrien's lies. In fact, today Marinette was in his office critiquing a new Ladybug-themed boot at his request when they both heard the faint screams outside of the mansion. Gabriel frowned. He really wanted to get this design finalized today. Marinette peeked at him, nibbling on her lip worriedly. She opened and closed her mouth several times, clearly struggling to find a suitable excuse which would allow her to escape the room and fight the akuma victim. But if Gabriel had to hear _one more time_ how thirsty she was and could she just hop over to the kitchens to grab some water he would confront her about her secret identity right then and there. Nevermind that he had bottles of water in a mini-fridge built into the wall. In fact, one such bottle currently sat open _right on his desk at this very moment_. Every akuma attack thus far seemed to parch her throat.

"Go," he snapped at her instead. Her eyes widened in fright and he wondered why she was- oh... she must still be a bit nervous around him. He softened his tone. "I know you're worried about Adrien. Go on, he's in his room." He bit his tongue before he could add _probably taking a shower_ with much more sarcasm than he could safely explain away.

With a relieved "thank you" called over her shoulder, she darted from the room. Seconds later, he spotted Ladybug and Chat Noir sailing through the air in the direction of the screams. Gabriel sat down at his desk, pulled up the _Ladyblog_ and took out his sketchpad. He recalled with a faint grin how just a couple of months ago, he used that same sketchpad to brainstorm ideas to slip to Adrien on how to romance Ladybug. It worked. As a bonus, he got to use the talented designer's opinions for some of his own work. He hoped a bit of Ladybug's good fortune would rub off on him as he opened to a fresh page and began to think as he waited for Alya to update the blog with news of the most recent attack.

Where he once used his creativity to develop ideas on teaching Adrien to woo Ladybug, he now needed that spark of ingenuity to invent lies. Adrien and Marinette may be unstoppable as Ladybug and Chat Noir, but in their civilian forms they risked their whole identities blowing up in their faces over a few pathetic excuses. Or in Adrien's case, just the one excuse used a few dozen times.

When he looked back at the page, he was surprised to find a few words written there already. _Photoshoot. Hiding. Protected from attack. Want him home safe._ Hmm, he must have subconsciously written those. Not too bad. A bit on the standard side, but might be useful in a pinch. He needed to create more elaborate excuses. No one would ever question if Gabriel Agreste needed to borrow Marinette's precision sewing hand to help bead his latest dress for an emergency. Or if Adrien's photos somehow needed to be reshot and he had to spend a bit more time in wardrobe before appearing on set.

Huh, those were actually pretty good. He jotted them down on the pad. He was saved from further musings when at last the _Ladyblog_ began to stream the attack. Gabriel flipped the book closed and focused his attentions on Chat Noir and Ladybug, leaning back in his chair. Gabriel didn't clench the edge of his desk anymore when he watched Chat Noir fighting. At least not _every_ time. The boy certainly utilized a unique fighting style and Gabriel often wished he would sometimes _try_ to remain at a bit of a ranged distance like Ladybug.

Thankfully, the battle ended quick enough and before long, Marinette burst back into his office as she flustered over excuses. But that created another dilemma. He needed more time to plan. If he was to cover for two people, he might need help. He had a nagging suspicion he needed to verify. "I believe we've completed enough on this design for today," he told her as she settled back down into her critique of the boot. "Let's rest on our ideas and resume at another time."

Her eyebrows rose and she stared at him, holding her pen in mid-air. He could practically _see_ the wheels turning in her mind as she agonized over the possibility she may have offended him. He groaned internally. He really didn't want to have to deal with an emotional teenager right now. "Something came up while you were away that unfortunately requires my immediate attention." There, that should suffice. Without waiting for her reply, he ushered her out of the office and headed out of the mansion, leaving her staring at his retreating figure in confusion.

He set a clipped pace toward the Dupain-Cheng bakery. By his calculations, he theorized that Marinette may take advantage of his absence and spend more time with Adrien, but should she decline to remain at his home very long, he needed to be gone from the bakery by the time she arrived.

The tiny bell tinkled as he stepped inside the small shop. Immediately, delicious smells assaulted him. He inhaled deeply, an involuntary act, and identified several savory scents. Nutmeg, vanilla, strawberry, cinnamon... No wonder Adrien liked to spend time here.

"Good afternoon, sir," a soft voice greeted him. He looked around and spotted a petite woman arranging the display of prepackaged cookies. She shared Marinette's silky hair. Her eyes flickered open in recognition. "Ah, but you must be Mr. Agreste, Adrien's father," she exclaimed. "Tom," she called out, "come meet Adrien's father. I'm Sabine, Marinette's mother. Adrien is an absolutely delightful young man."

He accepted her handshake and introduced himself as a man stepped through the back door. He towered nearly as tall as Gabriel, but strong muscles rippled across his shoulders, dwarfing Gabriel's lanky frame. He beamed at Gabriel. "Pleasure to meet you at last, Mr. Agreste," he said, sticking out his own hand.

For a man of his size, Tom had a surprisingly gentle grip. Firm, but not crushing. Gabriel offered a thin smile. "I'm terribly sorry to barge in unannounced," he said, "but I needed to discuss something with you both. Is this an inconvenient time?" He pulled out his tablet and flicked at the screen. "I can come back at a different date if it fits with your schedule better."

Tom laughed. "Nonsense! We're nearly closed anyway. Come on in the back." He vanished once again through the back door. Sabine pulled out some sandwiches from the glass display and set them on a plate. She led Gabriel behind the sales counter into a private kitchen. Tom was already pulling down teacups.

"It's not too late for an afternoon tea session," he said.

Gabriel couldn't recall the last time he had actually sat down and had the time to enjoy afternoon tea. Sabine ducked around him, holding the plate of sandwiches in one hand while she guided him to a chair with the other. "Sit down, Mr. Agreste."

Looking around a bit in uncertainty, Gabriel perched on the edge of a chair. "What about your customers?" he inquired. He didn't want the business to suffer because of his intrusion.

"We'll hear if anyone enters," Sabine assured him. "What's on your mind?"

Tom joined him with a teapot and a plate of cookies. He poured out some tea as Gabriel attempted to collect his thoughts, relaxing and easing back in the chair. He needed to tread lightly. Suss out information with delicate subtlety. "I came to ease your minds about some rumors you might have heard."

"Rumors?" Sabine exchanged a concerned look with her husband.

Gabriel nodded. "Do you know where your daughter is?"

Concern changed into confusion. "She said she would be with Adrien at your house all day," Sabine answered.

Okay, so far so good. Nothing earth-shattering yet. "Yes, that's correct." He sipped his tea. "I know you must have heard the rumors surrounding the akuma attacks. A couple of them have targeted me at my house. I just want to assure you that when Marinette is in my home, she is in very _capable_ hands."

He studied them after that. They both continued watching him, expecting something more. When it became clear that was all Gabriel would say, they exchanged a look before Tom said at last, "Er, we're not all that worried, but thank you for your assurances. We wouldn't dream of keeping Marinette away from Adrien, nor forbid her from visiting your home."

"Oh, so then you know," Gabriel stated rather than asked.

Confusion swept across their faces. Sabine tilted her head. "Know what?"

Oops. He couldn't reveal anything just yet. He wasn't certain. _Think fast, Agreste!_ "Er, about the many security features at my home?" he offered in a weak voice, at odds with his normally commanding tone.

Tom and Sabine shared a smile. "Adrien has already reassured us as much," Sabine replied as Tom picked up a cookie and bit into it. Gabriel eyed him. Those looked delicious.

Gabriel continued, "Right. So when she's over at my house during an attack, she's completely and utterly safe. There's no way she can accidentally wander into the street. Just like when she's here, right?" He surrendered to temptation and reached for a cookie. Still warm from the oven. He bit into it. Delicious, just as he suspected. He wondered if they would share the recipe with his chef, so he could have warm cookies more often.

Tom and Sabine chuckled, snapping Gabriel back to the present. "Honestly," Tom laughed aloud, "whenever there's an akuma attack, half of the time we don't know where Marinette is. Sometimes she's in her room, other times she's in the park or at school. With as many as we've had though, we trust her to come back safely. We believe in Ladybug and Chat Noir, that they'll always see our city kept safe. I do thank you for your concern."

Gabriel's mind froze. _They didn't know._ They didn't know that their daughter was Ladybug. Ugh. So much for his plan to enlist their help in devising cover stories. Well, he had what he came for. Better to depart before Marinette arrived. He stood. "Thank you ever so much for your hospitality. I really must be getting back home."

"You're quite welcome," Sabine said, smiling warmly at him. "Marinette loves having Adrien around. As do we."

As Gabriel made his way out to the front sales floor, Sabine picked up a bag of cookies. "Can we persuade you to take some for the walk back? I noticed you didn't ride here in your car."

Gabriel shook his head. "Thank you, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng," he said, "but I'll be okay." He turned and spotted Marinette across the street. He turned around, his eyes scanning the shelves, thinking fast as he processed his surroundings and outlined an impromptu idea. "Actually, I would like to purchase two dozen assorted macarons."

Sabine smiled. "Certainly!" She folded a box and began stacking different macarons inside. He had just finished paying and accepted his box when the bell chimed and Marinette walked in, startled to discover him in her parents' bakery.

"Mr. Agreste," she said, "what are you doing here?"

Gabriel lifted the box. "I came to buy some macarons. I'm certain I'll see you around in the future. Good day, Miss Marinette." He stepped around her, called a goodbye to Sabine, and departed the shop. He missed Marinette's eyes narrow after him in suspicion.

However, he didn't miss the red blur streaking through the skies, following him at a discrete pace. He turned a corner, ducked into an alleyway and waited. A moment later, Ladybug dropped in front of him.

"Good afternoon, Ladybug," he said. "To what do I owe the pleasure? Has there been an attack in the area?"

"Why were you in the Dupain-Cheng bakery?" She wasted no time with pleasantries.

He opened up the box and offered it to her. "Buying macarons. Want one?"

She frowned at him, holding her yo-yo ready. "Don't mock me. You're supposed to be..." She faltered.

He could have pressed her. She slipped up and she knew it. But if he was going to help his son and his girlfriend with their lies, he had to get them to trust him, even if only a little. "At home," he answered with a drawn-out sigh. "I know."

Ladybug recovered quickly. "So why are you here? Without your bodyguard, driver, or assistant?"

"Buying-"

"If you say 'buying macarons' one more time I will lose my temper," she growled, beginning to twirl her yo-yo.

Gabriel closed his mouth.

Ladybug flushed. "I'm sorry," she said. "I saw you leave your home so quickly and was concerned uh..."

Gabriel shut his eyes. Focused for a moment. How did this look to the teenager behind the mask? He bolted almost as soon as she returned from the akuma battle and then beelined it for her parents' home. He opened his eyes and offered her a tired smile. "That there might be an akuma nearby?" he supplied her with an easy answer. "Because you were doing one last sweep of the city after that earlier battle and was concerned about me after our last encounter? That was smart of you to follow me to ensure otherwise. But maybe not so smart to confront me." He wasn't going to let her off that easy.

She nodded sheepishly, tugging on a strand of hair in embarrassment. "Why did you leave in a such a hurry without your bodyguard?"

A valid question. He smiled and opened the box of macarons again. "I really was buying macarons. Tell me, Ladybug, what do you see here?"

She cast him a puzzled look before turning her attentions to study the box. "Uh, delicious desserts?"

"Now what would I, a designer, see here?"

"...Delicious desserts?"

Gabriel chuckled softly at her bewilderment. "I received notice that a designer friend of mine was in trouble. I elected to assist her."

"With... macarons?"

He pointed to the different macarons. "Look at the different color schemes. Pastels with a splash of vibrant color. Complementary colors. Smooth texture with a hint of roughness around the edges. Imagine the texture differences that can be expressed through satin, lace, cotton or silk. So many possibilities."

"She's going to design macarons?" At least Ladybug had replaced her yo-yo around her waist and stepped closer to him, dismissing him as a threat.

"These would make great colors for a summer line, wouldn't you agree?"

Ah, the moment when the spark of comprehension takes hold. "But aren't you rivals? Why would you help a rival?"

Gabriel scoffed. "She designs clothes for infants and young children. Nothing like my designs. She needed some inspiration for her upcoming deadline and I thought perhaps a box of macarons might spark her brilliant mind. If not, well then she has two dozen of the most delicious macarons in Paris to eat while she works."

Ladybug blushed almost as red as her suit. "I-I'm sorry for confronting you, Mr. Agreste."

"Do try not to jump to the wrong conclusions next time, Ladybug." He pressed his lips into a thin line. He still was not letting her off that easily.

She nodded, unhooking her yo-yo and flinging it to the rooftop. "I'll certainly try." With a gentle tug, she launched herself into the air.

Once out of sight, Gabriel sagged against the wall in relief. That was intense! That girl had a protective streak wider than Paris coupled with a fierceness to rival his own. Unfortunately, his excursion yielded nothing but a couple dozen macarons. Marinette's parents did not know of their daughter's secret escapades. He had hoped to maybe team up with them to create excuses and lay false trails but it appeared he was on his own. He reached into the box and grabbed a macaron, biting into it forlornly. Delicious, as promised. Mmm, maybe the trip wasn't a _total_ waste.

* * *

"Sir, it's Adrien's school," Nathalie began, hanging up the phone from where she had been conversing in a low voice. Gabriel stilled, lowering his sketchpad slowly. "I'm sorry, I tried to explain you were a busy man-"

"What is it, Nathalie?" Gabriel cut in.

She hesitated, worry crinkling the corners of her eyes. "They want you to go to a parent-teacher conference."

What? Gabriel stared at Nathalie, wondering if this was some prank. Was someone watching to see his reaction? Like that talent competition he had been tricked into appearing on. He glanced around the room, looking for hidden cameras. Surely Nathalie wouldn't cooperate with a television studio, just to allow them into his home to plant cameras and-

"I tried to tell them you were much too busy to attend and offered to go in your stead," Nathalie repeated, breaking his wandering thoughts. "They insisted. I even offered to allow you to link via your tablet, but they refused. They want you there in person."

At Gabriel's blank look, Nathalie pulled up his schedule. "It's to be this Friday afternoon. I've made certain the appropriate time is vacated." She favored him with a sympathetic look. "It's Adrien's attendance," she finally stated.

Attendance? Certainly his son loved going to school. After all, he had begged to attend. It would make absolutely no sense whatsoever if Adrien began to skip classes. What possible reason could he have to- oh. Akuma attacks.

"Apparently Adrien and another student have come in late or missed several classes, enough that their teachers and headmaster wish to meet together with everyone," Nathalie continued.

Another student? That must be Ladybug. Gabriel frowned. If Adrien was cutting class to spend time with Marinette and _not_ fighting akumatized victims, he would have strong words with his son. Gabriel's frown relaxed. Wait, that couldn't be right. Adrien loved school and would never jeopardize the chance to attend over something silly like spending time with his girlfriend.

Especially not since he could easily slip out of his window and visit her outside of school.

They must be fighting akumas. "Nathalie," he said, speaking up at last, "I would like a list of every single time they've marked Adrien tardy or absent."

"Yes, sir," she said, typing something on the keyboard.

He would compare the schedule given to him with the _Ladyblog_ reports of attacks. If even a single day did not match up...

But if they did, then he would have to go into the meeting fully prepared to cover for his son's heroic activities. And his girlfriend's. He couldn't rely upon those two to talk themselves out of trouble and with Marinette's parents in the dark, they would be looking for answers just as much as the teachers.

That left him.

How troublesome.

"I could always remove Adrien and home-school him again," Gabriel offered thoughtfully even as Nathalie flattened her eyebrows at him. "Or... not?" he amended, catching her expression.

"You will not," she stated with such defiance it startled him. "Adrien needs this experience. He's thriving from it. Whatever troubles he's having at school can be solved, I'm certain of it."

An idea began to form in his mind on how to address Adrien and Marinette's absences and late arrivals but he might need Nathalie's help. Nathalie handed him a printed sheet of paper and departed, leaving him alone with his thoughts. The paper contained every one of Adrien's documented absences. There weren't that many, as Adrien obviously tried to arrive at school on time diligently. But as Hawkmoth's akumatizations grew with erratic frequency, so did the absences. He imagined that the two heroes staggered the times that they ran into class, to not alert their friends to suspiciously timed entrances. And based on his brief interaction with Marinette's parents, he also suspected Marinette took the brunt of the unexcused absences, allowing Adrien to slip in first.

He pulled up the _Ladyblog_ and began to meticulously compare the attacks with Adrien's absences. As he thought, they matched. Much to his relief, Adrien took his schooling seriously and only missed classes when he absolutely had to – even if it meant invoking Gabriel's wrath.

His fingers flew across the sketchpad as his mind began to lay out a plan for the headmaster.

* * *

Adrien had been avoiding Gabriel for the past few days, ever since he discovered Gabriel had been forced into attending a parent-teacher conference. He knew Gabriel hated his schedule interrupted and for something as trivial as addressing Adrien's insolence at school... well, the citizens of Paris got a lot more glimpses of their black-clad hero that week as Chat Noir took to the rooftops to escape his worries.

Gabriel let him stew. Partly because he _was_ annoyed that his son couldn't squirm out of his own troubles, partly because he was busy with his own business, and partly because he spent a lot of time scribbling down excuses in a notebook whenever he encountered a decent one. He needed to have his plan ironed out; perfectly worded to both cover for the heroes and allow them to escape unpunished.

And he finally had it. The perfect plan, the perfect speech written to reflect his concern as a parent but also provide a reasonable explanation. He was ready.

So of course, an akuma _had_ to attack.

But he was getting ahead of himself. For starters, when he awoke on Friday, he made his way down to the dining room to overhear Nathalie telling Adrien the schedule for the day in a low voice.

"And after school, your father will meet you there for your conference," she concluded, sympathy tinged her voice. Gabriel paused outside the door for a moment, listening.

"I suppose I should just enjoy my last day at school," Adrien replied, his voice heavy with regret.

Gabriel couldn't listen to his son's depressed thoughts anymore and pushed open the door. Adrien and Nathalie both looked up at his entrance. "Are you expecting to be expelled?" Gabriel demanded.

Adrien gaped at him. "I- no?"

Huffing in exasperation, Gabriel sat at the table. "Then why would this be your last day at school?" He flicked through his tablet. "Last I checked, your next break wasn't until next month."

Hope bloomed on Adrien's face. "You're not going to pull me out?"

"No," Gabriel said. Adrien brightened. "I've studied your list of unexcused absences. Adrien, tell me this right now: are you sneaking off to spend time with Marinette?" Gabriel fixed his son with a steady look.

Adrien blushed bright red. "W-what? No! We're not... we don't... no!"

Gabriel picked up his tablet again, unruffled by the fact that he just nearly caused his son to internally combust. "I thought not. I had to hear it from you directly. You're a poor liar, you know."

He almost laughed at the affronted look that replaced Adrien's blush. Surely his son must be thinking that he successfully lied to Gabriel several times in the past as Chat Noir... idiot boy.

Soon Adrien pushed back his plate and left with a downcast look. Gabriel double checked his tablet for his notes and left not long after Adrien, intending to lock himself in his office and finish all of his work by the time he needed to appear at school for the conference.

A few hours later, Gabriel stood before the steps of the school, appraising the structure for a moment as students filed around him, happily departing for the day. He flagged a nearby student and the kid pointed him in the direction of the headmaster's office. He paused outside of the door, listening to the voices inside. He heard Marinette's parents talking to the headmaster – Mr. Damocles, Nathalie had informed him. He couldn't hear either Adrien or Marinette, but even if they were inside, they were probably nervously awaiting their fate.

Gabriel pushed open the door and the voices fell silent. As he suspected, Marinette and Adrien sat off to one side, heads bowed low, while Marinette's parents talked with the headmaster and their homeroom teacher, Ms. Bustier. All heads turned to him as he entered.

"Ah, Mr. Agreste," Mr. Damocles said, rising from his chair. "Thank you for coming today. Please, have a seat."

Gabriel sat at the indicated chair without a word, studying the people around him. He didn't have to wait long, because it appeared everyone was waiting for him. Not long after he got settled, Mr. Damocles cleared his throat, directing everyone's attentions to him.

"Thank you all for coming," he began, "especially with your busy schedules. As you know, some of the teachers have expressed concern over Adrien and Marinette's constant absences. We are here to discuss that." He directed his gaze to the two teens sitting despondently in the chairs. "Do you two have an explanation?"

The two looked at each other for a moment. Adrien clenched his fist and Marinette's eyes hardened. They both nodded to each other with an expression of finality. The hair on the back of Gabriel's neck rose. Were they going to...?

Marinette reached over and gripped Adrien's hand, as if in support. She took a deep breath.

"Actually," she began, her voice steady with determination, "we both have a very good reason for missing so many classes."

Gabriel panicked.

"Excuse me, Headmaster," he interrupted, pushing ahead with his agenda before the two kids outed themselves, "but might I inquire as to why these are considered unexcused?"

Marinette paused, her mouth hanging open. Adrien mirrored her astonishment. Even the homeroom teacher blinked in surprise. Sabine, however, smiled at him.

"Yes, Mr. Damocles," she began in her soft voice, "Tom and I were wondering quite the same. Marinette is often late, we know, because she has a problem waking up to her alarm clock."

Marinette blushed a furious red and let out an embarrassed squawk.

Gabriel forged ahead, knowing it was the only way to maintain an upper hand. He pulled out the schedule. "As far as I can see, most of their absences occurred on days that an akuma victim attacked the school. Surely you cannot hold my son responsible for valuing his safety over a science lecture." Gabriel made sure to inflect as much cynicism as possible into the remark. "Have Adrien's grades slipped at all?"

At this, their teacher spoke. "They are both high-performing students, Mr. Agreste," Ms. Bustier stated in a kind voice, "that is why were are concerned. It is not like either of them to miss so many classes and we wish to solve any mishap before it becomes an irreparable problem."

Gabriel nodded. "I understand. However, I would like to know which of Adrien's absences have been considered unexcused." He took out his own copy of Adrien's schedule. "From what I can tell, the attacks have all coincided with missed classes."

"But not all of them," Mr. Damocles pointed out. "Take, for instance, the day before last..."

A loud scream stopped everyone in their place.

In this city, everyone knew what _that_ kind of scream meant. Not some joyful stadium cry or desperate plea for help. This soul-wrenching wail curdled the blood with it's inhuman cry – bellowing with primordial rage at the injustice surrounding them.

Another akuma victim. And close, if the thunderous rumbling in Gabriel's chest was anything to go by.

The air seemed to drain from the room. Everyone froze, barely breathing, as the hair-raising shriek trembled through the room, shaking the windows before fading away.

Gabriel drew a heavy breath and his gasp shattered the silence like broken glass. Everyone snapped out of their trance. He leaped to his feet. "Adrien," he barked, "go and hide!"

That set off a chain of motion. Adrien and Marinette stood, along with Ms. Bustier and Mr. Damocles.

"Wait, you can't possible expect to go out in there," Mr. Damocles protested.

"It's too dangerous," Ms. Bustier agreed, her wide eyes filling with concern. "I won't let my students get hurt."

"It's much safer in here," Mr. Damocles said.

Marinette fidgeted with her purse, anxious to depart. The worry reflected in Adrien's face. Gabriel narrowed his eyes. Those two had to get out of the office before the akuma leveled the city with its sonic screams. Time to amp up the Agreste intimidation. He scoffed at Mr. Damocles.

"Don't insult me, Headmaster," he commanded in a fierce voice, "all of Paris has seen how often your office is targeted or destroyed by an akuma. Stay here if you must, but you will _not_ put my son into danger with your arrogance." He turned to Adrien once more. "Go and hide in a safe place. Do not come out until Ladybug's healing wave indicates all is safe. Is that understood?"

Adrien nodded and turned toward the door. Marinette hesitated, her eyes darting around as she scrambled for a suitable excuse. Gabriel provided one. "Make sure my son stays put," he ordered Marinette. Her eyes widened and she nodded before scurrying after Adrien.

Gabriel turned to Marinette's parents. "They'll be safe," he assured them, "but perhaps you should consider getting to safety as well. The more people gathered in an area, the easier the akuma will have finding us."

Another sonic cry pounded the room. The roof shook and a bit of dust floated down. Ms. Bustier sneezed. "I believe I'll seek haven in my classroom."

"We'll join you," Sabine added, and she and Tom followed behind Ms. Bustier.

That left Gabriel and Mr. Damocles. "I'm not abandoning my office," the headmaster stated, sitting behind his desk with an air of defiant acceptance.

"I wouldn't dream of forcing you," Gabriel returned, settling back down in his chair.

"Aren't you going to seek a safer room?"

Gabriel shook his head. "My son's safety is the only thing that matters to me. I'm much too old to be dodging behind walls and crawling under desks."

They sat in silence, occasionally punctuated by the sonorous cries. Mr. Damocles pulled up the _Ladyblog_ at Gabriel's suggestion and they both watched the footage of the fight. Despite the piercing intensity of the screams, the fight ended quickly. Gabriel seized his moment in the resulting lull before the two teens arrived.

"Mr. Damocles," he began as the headmaster brushed off dirt from his desk, "I understand you believe that Adrien's absences have been unexcused, but I assure you they are not."

The door behind him pushed open and Ms. Bustier, Tom, and Sabine entered. "We are all ears, Mr. Agreste," Ms. Bustier said.

Gabriel pulled out his notebook. "As you know, I've been planning a new show. And though I have yet to formally announce it to the press, the dates I have scheduled here have coincided with the times I've had to pull Adrien and Marinette out of class. It's all in the letter you received."

The headmaster's eyes furrowed in confusion. "What letter?"

"What show?" Tom said.

"Why Marinette?"

Gabriel smoothed his face and briefly threw out a silent apology for what he was about to do to Nathalie. Just for added sincerity, he threw in a touch of annoyance during his explanation.

"My assistant has provided you with all the necessary information," he began. "As you can see, the times they have both missed are identical to the times I have requested their presence. Adrien's private tutor has seen to it that neither of them have missed critical lessons, and you've just confirmed that their grades are maintained. I fail to see how this could have escalated to this point."

Four pairs of shocked eyes met his. Mr. Damocles recovered first. "Mr. Agreste, with all due respect, I received no such notice from your assistant."

 _Perfect! So far, so good._ Gabriel frowned and narrowed his eyes. "Is that so?" he demanded, the faintest hint of anger tinging his voice.

"Ah, but I'm sure there was some kind of mistake," Mr. Damocles added, raising his hands in a placating manner.

"Of that I have no doubt," Gabriel agreed in a chilly voice. "I shall have words with my assistant." _Such as giving her a long weekend at the best spa in the country, plus a hefty bonus for all of the work I'm about to throw on her_ , he thought. "I apologize for this confusion, Headmaster, but if there are no further objections, I would continue to have Marinette and Adrien assist with my show. After all, it's to benefit your school's art programs, and Marinette has earned repute as the winner of the previous contest you allowed."

Mr. Damocles shook his head so fast Gabriel wondered if his head wasn't about to spin off. "Of course not, Mr. Agreste! If there's anything else we can do to assist, please don't hesitate to ask."

Gabriel stood. "I thank you for your time and continued secrecy until I am ready to announce this to the press. I am still finalizing the details. I assume then, that no punishment shall befall Adrien nor Marinette?"

"Of course not!" Mr. Damocles assured him. "I wouldn't dream of it."

Ms. Bustier stepped forward. "That is, of course, providing that your tutor can adequately cover the material in class that they miss? I don't want them to fall behind."

Tom and Sabine looked thrilled at the possibility of their daughter assisting with her first fashion show, but their joy faded a bit at Ms. Bustier's words.

"School does come first," Sabine murmured. Tom nodded in agreement.

Gabriel reassured them with a thin smile. "If there are any issues, I will not allow Marinette to participate as fully as she has been with my designs." _As if I could keep her from her duties as Ladybug_ , he thought wryly.

"Then I believe this settles the matter to everyone's satisfaction," Mr. Damocles declared.

Gabriel nodded once and turned to depart. His eyes swept past everyone and settled upon Adrien and Marinette, framed in the doorway, both staring at him with decidedly odd expressions. Gabriel's breath caught. _How much had they heard?_ He swallowed hard and schooled his expression into one of indifference. "Ah, Adrien, there you are. Come along, our meeting is over."

He strode past the two teens even as Marinette's parents gushed with pride over their daughter's "first fashion show". Adrien followed Gabriel out the door without a word.

They had descended the stone steps and Gabriel was nearly certain that he has successfully escaped when a voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Excuse me, Mr. Agreste."

So close.

He turned. Marinette marched toward him with a look on her face that could only be described as a Ladybug look. "Why did you do that?"

"Do what?" he asked, drawing out the false innocence in his tone.

Marinette folded her arms across her chest. "Lie on our behalf."

Straight to the point then. Adrien, surprisingly enough, stood beside Marinette and fixed him with a curious look as well. He appraised his father as if he would a problem he hadn't yet solved. Or much like Ladybug looked just before she figured out what to do with her Lucky Charm.

What to do?

He could continue with the same vein and spin a convincing tale sure to appease their suspicions. And yet... these two children had just found support in each other. To bear the burdens of the city on their shoulders – alone – must be overwhelming. Adrien stumbled on the verge of collapsing most nights and only Marinette's nervous enthusiasm masked her own exhaustion. They needed... well, they had each other, but they needed something _more_. Something to show them that there would always be a hand outstretched to help when the oceans of their destinies began to drown them.

He was stupidly sentimental but the past couple of months of sly plotting and planning had invigorated something inside Gabriel. He needed to keep it going. He _wanted_ to keep it going. To ignite the fire that had once burned inside him.

He realized they were both expecting him to answer. "I've grown rather fond of your parents' macarons," he said. "After all, you were the one who convinced me that they were 'delicious desserts'." He grinned. "And you couldn't have been more correct."

He turned around and began walking away even as Marinette gasped and Adrien inquired after her in confusion. "I'll see you at home, Adrien," he called over his shoulder. Then, he stopped and glanced back at the two of them, fixing them each with a solemn look. "Oh, and one last thing to the both of you... please be careful."

 _The End  
_

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:** This was originally intended to be the start of a sequel (or at least the first half of the epilogue was) but I've decided against it because the plot started to get grander than I could handle. Special thanks to PerditaAlottachocolate for helping me select an ending for Gabriel!_

 _Keeping this strictly from Gabriel's point-of-view was by far the HARDEST aspect of this story to write. I agonized whether it was too boring or Gabriel was too OOC many many times._

 _Which brings me to..._

 _Thank you all for all of your support! I never thought I would get so many positive responses to a "Gabriel is not Hawkmoth" story, and one where he is a bit of a nice guy, too. I thoroughly enjoyed interacting with all of my reviewers (the ones that I could reply to) and I loved debating theories with you guys. Drop me a line, I'm always willing to gush about different ideas!_

 _Thank you all again!_


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